Canon - ZR 850 Camcorder Review

I can't say enough good stuff about my trusty Canon ZR 500 camcorder.  As many people go the way of Hard drive or mini dvd video recorders, I haven't jumped on the bandwagon just yet.  The ZR 500 is dependable and tough while providing a terrific picture quality.  It is very easy to transfer videos from the 500 to a computer via firewire cable (which is included with the camcorder.)

The ZR 500 can take a beating.  Mine has gotten me through 3 college video courses and more than a dozen freelance videography jobs.  I've literally duct taped mine to the hood of a car and driven down the street.  That was three years ago.  It still shoots a perfect picture today.  On my honeymoon in the Bahamas, when my digital still camera wouldn't work due to humidity, the ZR 500 was still shooting great video of ocean beaches.

I do have a few small complaints.  The battery drains far more quickly than expected when not in use.  If I don't use it for a month, then want to shoot something, I almost always have a near empty charge.  Luckily, it doesn't take long to charge, and the camcorder works while plugged in.  My only other issue is the grainy picture in low-light settings.  There is no feature to turn down gain, which sharpens the image but adds a grainy look.  When I'm shooting at night or in dark areas such as the dimmed light of a wedding reception, there's nothing I can do to correct the grainy look.  However, in moderate-to-high levels of light, the picture quality can't be beat.

In summary, the Canon ZR 500 is a resiliant and reliable video recorder.  For all it can handle alone, I recommend it.  In addition to being able to take a beating, it also has a great picture in normal light, and has several features that are easy to change around.